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Phone Number Management6 min read

Phone Number Formats by Country: Complete Reference Guide

Every country formats phone numbers differently. The US uses (555) 123-4567, the UK uses 07911 123456, Japan uses 090-1234-5678. When you're working with international contacts, knowing the right format prevents failed calls, undelivered messages, and wasted time.

This guide covers phone number formats for 30+ countries — country codes, trunk prefixes, number lengths, and example numbers.

How International Phone Numbers Work

Every phone number consists of three parts:

  1. Country code — A 1-3 digit prefix identifying the country (+1 for US/Canada, +44 for UK, +91 for India)
  2. Trunk prefix — A digit (usually 0) used for domestic calls that gets dropped in international format
  3. Subscriber number — The remaining digits, often split by area code and local number

Example (UK):

  • Local format: 07911 123456 (trunk prefix 0 + subscriber number)
  • International format: +44 7911 123456 (country code +44, trunk prefix dropped)
  • E.164 format: +447911123456 (no spaces, no trunk prefix)

For a deeper explanation of these format types, see our guide on phone number formats explained.

Quick Reference: 30+ Countries

North America

| Country | Code | Format (Local) | Format (International) | Length | | ----------------- | ---- | -------------- | ---------------------- | --------- | | United States | +1 | (555) 123-4567 | +1 555-123-4567 | 10 digits | | Canada | +1 | (416) 123-4567 | +1 416-123-4567 | 10 digits | | Mexico | +52 | 55 1234 5678 | +52 55 1234 5678 | 10 digits |

Note: US and Canada share country code +1. Mexico dropped its trunk prefix 01 for domestic long-distance calls in 2019.

Europe

| Country | Code | Trunk | Format (Local) | Format (International) | Mobile Length | | ------------------ | ---- | ----- | -------------- | ---------------------- | ------------- | | United Kingdom | +44 | 0 | 07911 123456 | +44 7911 123456 | 10 digits | | Germany | +49 | 0 | 0151 12345678 | +49 151 12345678 | 10-11 digits | | France | +33 | 0 | 06 12 34 56 78 | +33 6 12 34 56 78 | 9 digits | | Spain | +34 | — | 612 345 678 | +34 612 345 678 | 9 digits | | Italy | +39 | — | 312 345 6789 | +39 312 345 6789 | 9-10 digits | | Netherlands | +31 | 0 | 06 12345678 | +31 6 12345678 | 9 digits | | Poland | +48 | — | 512 345 678 | +48 512 345 678 | 9 digits | | Sweden | +46 | 0 | 070-123 45 67 | +46 70 123 45 67 | 9 digits | | Switzerland | +41 | 0 | 078 123 45 67 | +41 78 123 45 67 | 9 digits | | Portugal | +351 | — | 912 345 678 | +351 912 345 678 | 9 digits | | Turkey | +90 | 0 | 0532 123 4567 | +90 532 123 4567 | 10 digits |

Note: Spain, Italy, Poland, and Portugal have no trunk prefix — the local and international formats use the same digits (just add the country code). Italy is unusual: mobile numbers start with 3, landlines keep the leading 0 even in international format.

Asia-Pacific

| Country | Code | Trunk | Format (Local) | Format (International) | Mobile Length | | --------------- | ---- | ----- | -------------- | ---------------------- | ------------- | | India | +91 | 0 | 98765 43210 | +91 98765 43210 | 10 digits | | China | +86 | 0 | 138 1234 5678 | +86 138 1234 5678 | 11 digits | | Japan | +81 | 0 | 090-1234-5678 | +81 90-1234-5678 | 10 digits | | South Korea | +82 | 0 | 010-1234-5678 | +82 10-1234-5678 | 10 digits | | Australia | +61 | 0 | 0412 345 678 | +61 412 345 678 | 9 digits | | Indonesia | +62 | 0 | 0812-3456-7890 | +62 812-3456-7890 | 9-12 digits | | Philippines | +63 | 0 | 0917 123 4567 | +63 917 123 4567 | 10 digits | | Thailand | +66 | 0 | 081 234 5678 | +66 81 234 5678 | 9 digits | | Singapore | +65 | — | 9123 4567 | +65 9123 4567 | 8 digits |

Note: Singapore has no trunk prefix and no area codes — all numbers are 8 digits. Japan and South Korea use 0 trunk prefixes that are dropped internationally.

Middle East & Africa

| Country | Code | Trunk | Format (Local) | Format (International) | Mobile Length | | ---------------- | ---- | ----- | -------------- | ---------------------- | ------------- | | UAE | +971 | 0 | 050 123 4567 | +971 50 123 4567 | 9 digits | | Saudi Arabia | +966 | 0 | 050 123 4567 | +966 50 123 4567 | 9 digits | | South Africa | +27 | 0 | 071 123 4567 | +27 71 123 4567 | 9 digits | | Nigeria | +234 | 0 | 0803 123 4567 | +234 803 123 4567 | 10 digits | | Kenya | +254 | 0 | 0712 345678 | +254 712 345678 | 9 digits | | Egypt | +20 | 0 | 0100 123 4567 | +20 100 123 4567 | 10 digits |

South America

| Country | Code | Trunk | Format (Local) | Format (International) | Mobile Length | | ------------- | ---- | ----- | ---------------- | ---------------------- | ------------- | | Brazil | +55 | 0 | (11) 91234-5678 | +55 11 91234-5678 | 11 digits | | Argentina | +54 | 0 | 011 15-1234-5678 | +54 9 11 1234-5678 | 10 digits | | Colombia | +57 | — | 312 345 6789 | +57 312 345 6789 | 10 digits | | Chile | +56 | — | 9 1234 5678 | +56 9 1234 5678 | 9 digits |

Note: Brazil mobile numbers have 11 digits (area code + 9 + 8-digit number). Argentina inserts 9 after the country code for mobile numbers in international format.

Common Pitfalls

Trunk prefix confusion

The most common error: including the 0 trunk prefix in international format. +44 07911 123456 is wrong — it should be +44 7911 123456. The trunk prefix is only for domestic calls.

Variable number lengths

Not all countries have fixed-length numbers. German mobile numbers range from 10-11 digits. Indonesian numbers range from 9-12. Don't validate purely on length.

Numbers that start with the country code

+1 441 234 5678 is a Bermuda number (area code 441), not a UK number (+44). Don't assume a number's country from its leading digits without proper parsing.

Leading zeros stripped by software

Excel, Google Sheets, and some databases strip leading zeros from numbers stored as numeric types. A UK number 07911123456 becomes 7911123456. Always store phone numbers as text. See our spreadsheet guide for details.

Validating and Formatting Numbers

Trying to remember the formatting rules for 30+ countries is impractical. Instead:

  • For quick formatting: Paste numbers into NumSwift's phone number formatter. It detects the country and outputs the correct format automatically.
  • For bulk conversion: Use NumSwift's international phone number converter to convert entire lists to E.164 or international format.
  • For developers: Use Google's libphonenumber library, which contains formatting rules for every country and updates regularly.

Tips

  1. Store numbers in E.164 format. +15551234567 is unambiguous — one number, one representation. Display in friendly format, store in E.164.

  2. Always include the country code. A 10-digit number could be US, Canadian, or several Caribbean countries. Without a country code, it's ambiguous.

  3. Don't validate with regex alone. A regex that matches "7-15 digits" will match ZIP codes, order numbers, and dates. Use a proper phone number library for validation. NumSwift's phone number validator handles this automatically.

  4. When collecting numbers, show an example. On forms, display the expected format: "Phone: +1 555 123 4567". This dramatically improves data quality.

Related Guides

Bottom Line

Phone number formats vary wildly across countries — different lengths, trunk prefixes, grouping conventions, and special rules. For quick formatting, paste numbers into NumSwift and get them in the correct international format instantly. For storage and integration, use E.164. For reference, bookmark this page.